“Media education goes digital: an introduction” By David Buckingham §“It (the article) argues that media education can provide an important critical dimension to the use of technology in education, that moves beyond a merely instrumental approach; and that it can help to bridge the ‘new digital divide’ between students’ experience of technology outside school and their experiences in the classroom” (111). oThe significance of the article is that connection to the students both in the classroom and out, through the use of technology in education. §Buckingham suggests that media education should approach new digital media by using “existing conceptual approaches” applied to new lessons though creative methods, challenging the teaching philosophy, and exploring the changing media culture” (111). §Buckingham creatively points that access has been the issue among policy-makers, who suggest that media “will provide automatic benefits” and that the policy-makers are “irrespective of how these technologies are actually used” (111). oSchools and districts are under the impression that if there are computers in the school, they will be used effectively, and will raise student achievement.Administrators often fail to recognize that teachers must be explicitly taught how to use technology, how to incorporate it in their rooms, and how it can be use to increase achievement.This does not happen through the simple purchase of technology. §Buckingham points that teachers are often “resistant” to technology and for good reasons. §Teaching with and through education: o“Education about the media should be seen as an indispensable prerequisite for education with or through the media” (112). o“The meaningful and effective use of media in education therefore depends upon students developing a form of critical media literacy that goes well beyond a training in how to operate the hardware and software” (112). §Buckingham suggests that digital media (internet, cell phones, computer games, etc.) are a major factor in the youth’s leisure-time (112). oYouth are a significant target, as consumers, of the digital media market, are enthusiastic about the market, and have access to the media. oYouth are involved with digital media for social networking and for the connection to popular culture. oThis is an obvious opening for teachers to integrate these forms of technology to increase student’s interest and involvement in academics. §Due to students connection to the digital media, Buckingham suggest the term “New Digital Divide” which addresses the divide between students experiences with technology in and out of the classroom (112). o“It is hardly surprising that so many young people find the classroom use of technology boring, frustrating and irrelevant to their lives” (112).Classrooms are decades behind where students are currently at on the technology spectrum (the overhead projector, many classrooms most advanced technological piece, was invented in the 1950’s) o“Best practice in media education involves a combination of ‘hands-on’ creative production and critical reflection, which seeks to build on students’ existing pleasures and experiences of media” (112).See above comment on social networking. §Section: New objects of study oAdults tend to view students/youth as “cyberkids” however Buckingham and his research suggest that youth are, “ uncertain, they lack information and they are often frustrated by the failure of the technology to achieve what it promises” (113). oCurrently there is a lack of support and advice for students to determine what is unreliable information and to deal with confusing information (113). oBuckingham states there is a need for more “consumer advice and public information” to teach students to understand and navigate the new media based world (113). §This education is based on teaching students to question the web and media about the source of the information and how it can effect and reflect the world. Teaching students to evaluate the audience in which the information was created for. §Section: Creative Production oBuckingham challenges teachers to allow students to use creative methods to interact and create through/about media. For example creating/exploring: cd-roms, websites, visual images, audio and video materials, etc. (114). Thus, suggesting the term “edutainment” as a mode to learn media through. o“Even so, it is important to differentiate here between education through media and education about media-or in other words, between the use of media as a teaching aid and the study of media in their own right” (114). §Section: New Styles of Learning oBuckingham points that most of the students learning occurs through ”trial and error” (116) by interacting, playing, and collaborating about and with media. o“As this implies, the ‘new digital divide’ between children’s leisure uses of technology and their experiences in the classroom is to simply a matter of content, but also of style”(116). o“Children are now immersed in a consumer culture that positions them as active and autonomous; yet in school, a great deal of their learning is passive and teaching-directed (116). oBuckingham points that there are “limits to the kinds or participation that are possible, the people who are able to gain access to it, and the social consequences it is likely to have” (117). §Section: Remixing Learning, Media, and Technology o“…attemping to bridge the divide between children’s everyday engagements with digital media as ‘consumers’ and the experiences of production is far from straightforward, not least because of the limitations of the available technology (118). o“They argue that media educators need to exploit the considerable potential of these new forms of participatory culture, while also insisting on the key conceptual aims of the field” (118).
By David Buckingham
§ “It (the article) argues that media education can provide an important critical dimension to the use of technology in education, that moves beyond a merely instrumental approach; and that it can help to bridge the ‘new digital divide’ between students’ experience of technology outside school and their experiences in the classroom” (111).
o The significance of the article is that connection to the students both in the classroom and out, through the use of technology in education.
§ Buckingham suggests that media education should approach new digital media by using “existing conceptual approaches” applied to new lessons though creative methods, challenging the teaching philosophy, and exploring the changing media culture” (111).
§ Buckingham creatively points that access has been the issue among policy-makers, who suggest that media “will provide automatic benefits” and that the policy-makers are “irrespective of how these technologies are actually used” (111).
o Schools and districts are under the impression that if there are computers in the school, they will be used effectively, and will raise student achievement. Administrators often fail to recognize that teachers must be explicitly taught how to use technology, how to incorporate it in their rooms, and how it can be use to increase achievement. This does not happen through the simple purchase of technology.
§ Buckingham points that teachers are often “resistant” to technology and for good reasons.
§ Teaching with and through education:
o “Education about the media should be seen as an indispensable prerequisite for education with or through the media” (112).
o “The meaningful and effective use of media in education therefore depends upon students developing a form of critical media literacy that goes well beyond a training in how to operate the hardware and software” (112).
§ Buckingham suggests that digital media (internet, cell phones, computer games, etc.) are a major factor in the youth’s leisure-time (112).
o Youth are a significant target, as consumers, of the digital media market, are enthusiastic about the market, and have access to the media.
o Youth are involved with digital media for social networking and for the connection to popular culture.
o This is an obvious opening for teachers to integrate these forms of technology to increase student’s interest and involvement in academics.
§ Due to students connection to the digital media, Buckingham suggest the term “New Digital Divide” which addresses the divide between students experiences with technology in and out of the classroom (112).
o “It is hardly surprising that so many young people find the classroom use of technology boring, frustrating and irrelevant to their lives” (112). Classrooms are decades behind where students are currently at on the technology spectrum (the overhead projector, many classrooms most advanced technological piece, was invented in the 1950’s)
o “Best practice in media education involves a combination of ‘hands-on’ creative production and critical reflection, which seeks to build on students’ existing pleasures and experiences of media” (112). See above comment on social networking.
§ Section: New objects of study
o Adults tend to view students/youth as “cyberkids” however Buckingham and his research suggest that youth are, “ uncertain, they lack information and they are often frustrated by the failure of the technology to achieve what it promises” (113).
o Currently there is a lack of support and advice for students to determine what is unreliable information and to deal with confusing information (113).
o Buckingham states there is a need for more “consumer advice and public information” to teach students to understand and navigate the new media based world (113).
§ This education is based on teaching students to question the web and media about the source of the information and how it can effect and reflect the world. Teaching students to evaluate the audience in which the information was created for.
§ Section: Creative Production
o Buckingham challenges teachers to allow students to use creative methods to interact and create through/about media. For example creating/exploring: cd-roms, websites, visual images, audio and video materials, etc. (114). Thus, suggesting the term “edutainment” as a mode to learn media through.
o “Even so, it is important to differentiate here between education through media and education about media-or in other words, between the use of media as a teaching aid and the study of media in their own right” (114).
§ Section: New Styles of Learning
o Buckingham points that most of the students learning occurs through ”trial and error” (116) by interacting, playing, and collaborating about and with media.
o “As this implies, the ‘new digital divide’ between children’s leisure uses of technology and their experiences in the classroom is to simply a matter of content, but also of style” (116).
o “Children are now immersed in a consumer culture that positions them as active and autonomous; yet in school, a great deal of their learning is passive and teaching-directed (116).
o Buckingham points that there are “limits to the kinds or participation that are possible, the people who are able to gain access to it, and the social consequences it is likely to have” (117).
§ Section: Remixing Learning, Media, and Technology
o “…attemping to bridge the divide between children’s everyday engagements with digital media as ‘consumers’ and the experiences of production is far from straightforward, not least because of the limitations of the available technology (118).
o “They argue that media educators need to exploit the considerable potential of these new forms of participatory culture, while also insisting on the key conceptual aims of the field” (118).